Background
Marcus Livius Drusus was born circa 124 BC. He was a member of a great plebeian family, the son, and grandson of consuls. Drusus' mother belonged to the great patrician family of the Cornelii. He had a sister whose name was Livia.
Marcus Livius Drusus was born circa 124 BC. He was a member of a great plebeian family, the son, and grandson of consuls. Drusus' mother belonged to the great patrician family of the Cornelii. He had a sister whose name was Livia.
Circa 105 BC Drusus was elected a military tribune and became one of the decemviri utilities judicandis, a court of 10 which decided cases as to whether a man was free or a slave (ca. 104 BC). Circa 102 BC he was chosen a quaestor, the first step on the ladder of public office for aspiring Roman politicians. He was aedile in 94 BC and became a pontifex at some unknown time, an office which he held until his death.
On December 10, 92 BC Drusus became a plebeian tribune and used his own influence and the powers of this office to propose an extraordinary series of reforms designed to solve the major domestic problems of the day. With some of the more intelligent members of his party (such as Marcus Scaurus and L. Licinius Crassus, the orator) he recognized the need for reform. Drusus proposed to placate the poor citizens by suggesting the establishment of 12 colonies in Italy to which they could migrate, with a free distribution of land. At that time an agitation was going on for the transfer of the judicial functions from the equities to the senate. To smooth relations between the Senate and the equestrian order (equities), Drusus wanted to restore to the senators the right, taken from them by C. Gracchus and given to the equities, of sitting on the juries which decided cases of alleged corruption in office. Equestrian opposition was to be overcome by doubling the size of the Senate by adding 300 equities to it. The restive cities of Italy Drusus wanted to conciliate by extending Roman citizenship to all Italians.
These proposals were adopted into law by the assembly of all citizens, but they violated Roman law providing that one bill of proposals could not contain several unrelated topics; force had been used as well. This gave an opportunity to Drusus' opponents to reopen the question. After violent agitation and threats of mass movements in support of Drusus by the Italians, Drusus' enemies persuaded a majority of the Senate to declare all of these laws invalid. When Drusus' opponents assassinated him in 91 BC to prevent the passage of the latter bill, the disappointed Italian allies rose in revolt. This was the Social War, 91-88 BC, which ended in the enfranchisement of the allies.
Marcus was a thoroughgoing conservative, wealthy and generous, and a man of high integrity.
Drusus was married to Servilia, the daughter of the Optimate leader Q. Servilius Caepio. The couple had no children. At some point Drusus adopted an infant Appius Claudius Pulcher. His name was changed from Appius Claudius Pulcher to Marcus Livius Drusus Claudianus, in honor of his adoptive father.